Gardening & Horticulture in The Books Store

In exquisite gardens inspired by the lush native plants of his adopted home of Miami, landscape artist/architect Raymond Jungles uses nature as a means of self-expression. He is known for modernist groupings of geometric shapes, which highlight the natural aspects of plantings, water features, and native stone. His use of plants, drawn largely from those indigenous to subtropical regions, emphasizes their dramatic sculptural forms. Jungles's original and inviting green spaces, like those of his mentor, the master landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, bring the comfort and beauty of nature into built settings.

This monograph on the work of Raymond Jungles features more than 20 residential projects. From a rooftop garden 34 stories in the air to a natural setting of ponds and islands surrounding a 1920s residence to an informal green space in the Pearl Islands of Panama, Jungles constructs vibrant spaces that complement the natural environment. His modern vocabulary is on display in beautiful color photographs that document each landscape in both panoramic views and intimate details. Jungles's own descriptions of each garden address the process of making the landscape as well as the design elements that tie each composition to common experiences of nature.

After enticing you with the story of his signature dish, a green salad made with up to 30 ingredients, each literally harvested and assembled on the plate one leaf and blossom at a time, Traunfeld shows how, using more typical resources, you can construct a salad friends will declare a delicious work of art. To make it really simple, he provides a chart listing 50 possible choices that helps you balance the flavors, including hot, sweet, bitter, and aromatic, and the colors and textures that make a salad more than a plate of lovely greens.

However, if you don't live in a culinary paradise like the Seattle area, only have access to a typical supermarket, and you don't want to grow your own herbs, you can still infuse your cooking with the same enticing magic Traunfeld creates at the Herbfarm. Just tuck sprigs of thyme, rosemary, or oregano between the slices of a loaf of country bread spread with butter or olive oil and roasted garlic, wrap it in foil, and pop it in the oven for a quick 12 minutes. Or try Mashed Potatoes with Toasted Coriander, the seeds adding earthy flavor to a perennial favorite, and serve with chicken piccata enlivened with fresh dill.

Traunfeld is such a good teacher and clear writer that you follow with confidence when he guides you through Herb-Smoked Salmon--first dry-rubbed, then smoked over dried stems from basil, thyme, or fennel and finally baked until the fish is just gently set. You also get an introduction to the Japanese concept of umami, a state of food perfection that Traunfeld achieves in his Umami Carrot Soup with Mint.